We’re in the final two episodes of Preacher‘s first season, and, if the Comic-Con trailer is any indication, we’re in for a wild ride as we approach the real source material for the show. Let’s take a look at what happened in the season’s penultimate episode, “Finish the Song.”
The episode opens in what appears to be the past as the Cowboy enters a bar, being warned upon entering that a storm is coming. After an odd monologue from the town preacher, the Cowboy begins killing the patrons of the bar as he tells the local bard to “finish the song” that he had started as the Cowboy entered. Before it can be completed, though, everyone around is dead, and the Cowboy pours himself a drink as the storm blows through. This is the first time that we’ve seen the Cowboy in quite a while, and the brief prologue reminds us of just how intriguing of a character he is.
Back in the present, Jesse is being escorted to jail by Sheriff Root. There’s a humorous line as the sheriff asks about the whereabouts of his son, and Jesse quite plainly states that he sent Eugene to Hell before breaking out of the car and escaping. Meanwhile, the angels head to a travel agency, trying to find passage “south.” The scene is a perfect example of Preacher‘s brand of dark humor, and it works perfectly in the context of the show. We’re adding more and more supernatural elements to the series, and the slow addition is working super well for the show as a whole.
Tulip and Emily are spending a little more time together these days, and Tulip lets the other woman in on Cassidy’s identity so he’ll have a caretaker while Tulip goes to take care of Carlos (finally stating “I am done with Jesse Custer”). Emily takes the news of Cassidy’s vampirism in stride, and it’s a bit of an odd character choice. With that said, it’s a little more believable now than it would have been a few episodes ago now that she’s seen more of Jesse’s life. The real break of character comes a bit later in the episode as Emily makes a decision regarding Miles that comes seemingly out of nowhere, but it feels so appropriate to the series that it’s hard to fault the writers too much. The scene leading to it also parallels a monologue from the film Psycho (one of my favorite movies) that Emily hears on television right before, so it’s allowed a little bit of room to feel more like a natural progression than it really should. Overall, the scene works so well because of Lucy Griffiths. Griffiths has been delivering a great performance as Emily all season, and her ability to capture the emotion of the character brings all of her scenes up a notch.
One of the best scenes of the episode comes as Sheriff Root encounters the angel that Fiore and DeBlanc have left in their bathtub. He has no idea what her true purpose and powers are, but he brings a moment of mercy and rage as his emotions spill out. It’s the most intense scene that we’ve gotten with the character all season, and it works very, very well. We also finally get a conversation between Jesse and Cassidy after the reveal of what the vampire really is, and it’s incredible how many layers it adds to their relationship. “Finish the Song” is full of small moments such as this that just work so well.
It’s a small moment, but there’s a scene at a bus stop that is a great homage to Breaking Bad that I’m really glad was included. It’s visual gags and Easter eggs such as this that bring Preacher up to an entirely different level than other series.
The final reveal of the Cowboy, now confirmed as the Saint of Killers, and what his real actions on the series have been so far is done in a very clever way, and the method in which he’s being brought into the main fold is well-done and will have major ramifications on what comes next. “Finish the Song” has done a lot to set up a very explosive and important finale, and I can’t wait to see how the season wraps itself up next week.
What did you think about “Finish the Song?” Let us know your thoughts in the comments down below!
